The Tegan Chronicles

Thicker than Blood 7

"Hey." Daniel cautiously stuck his head into Tegan's lab to find her sitting behind her desk.

"Hey." She glanced up glad he couldn't see the game of solitaire she was playing on the computer.

"I just thought I'd see if you wanted to grab some lunch."

"I'm a little busy right now." She glanced at the screen as if that would make it true.

"Yeah, no problem." He looked like she'd just killed his puppy. "I'll catch you later."

Tegan walked into the doorway of Daniel's office and casually leaned against the frame. It was 1515 hours and he was intensely studying an artifact.

"What language is that?" She startled him.

"A form of ancient Anglo-Saxon, I think." He glanced up at her.

"I didn't mean to brush you off at lunch." She reasoned it wasn't him she'd been brushing off but lunch.

He didn't say anything but the hurt puppy expression returned.

"Maybe we could do dinner?"

He shrugged.

"I know this great steak place."

"Yeah, I'm not allowed in that steak place." Sam, Jack and Daniel had been banned for life after an altercation, having something to do with alien technology and a virus it infected them with, had taken place there.

"Oh yeah." Tegan grinned. "I forgot. Why don't I pick you up at 1800 hours and we'll do a picnic, it's warm enough now. I know the perfect place."

"Ok."

Half an hour after she'd picked him up they still hadn't reached their destination. Daniel pulled his eyes from the solid white line on the side of the road. "You did mean the perfect place for a picnic, and not to drop a body, right?"

Tegan smiled lightly. "It's just up ahead."

Daniel swallowed. He hadn't seen a single car since they'd pulled off the main thoroughfare at least eight miles back.

Tegan pulled off the road onto a long abandoned overlook and parked the car.

Daniel opened his door and got out looking cautiously over the drop. "Tegan, I'm..."

"I don't want to hear it." She cut him off as she opened the trunk.

Daniel eyed the drop off and squeezed himself against the passenger door.

"You're not afraid of heights are you?" She pulled the picnic basket out and balanced it on the edge of the open trunk.

He grunted.

Even in the light of the pre-setting sun she could tell he was pale. "Daniel, are you ok?"

"Fine." He brushed off her concern the same way she had so often done with his.

"Maybe a picnic wasn't such a good idea." She sat the basket back in the trunk.

"Maybe."

"Daniel." She turned to face him. "I don't blame you. You didn't do this to me."

"I was the one who got us captured."

She couldn't argue with him on that point. "Maybe so, but you've got to stop blaming yourself and move on. I don't blame you. Nothing has changed, I still feel the same about you as I always have."

"Really?"

"Really, but if it helps I forgive you."

"It does." He grinned. "Just how have you always felt about me?"

"Like I want to ravish your boyish figure." She mock growled.

"Do you kiss Janet with that mouth?"

"Sometimes."

He wasn't sure why, but her playful mood suddenly shifted. He ventured a guess. "Things ok between you two?"

Tegan shook her head but didn't elaborate.

"I won't take sides if you feel the need to talk."

"Thanks." She gave him a noncommittal smile.

"So, what's for dinner?" He reached into the trunk and pulled out the basket.

"I miss her." Janet squeezed her lemon wedge into her diet Coke. She'd invited Tegan to join her, Sam and Dana after work Friday for dinner, but she told Janet she needed an evening of solitude. As if she wasn't spending enough time alone.

"She does still live with you." Sam pointed out, even though she understood the point.

"She does and she doesn't." Janet didn't know just how much her friends really wanted her to share. "She eats dinner with Cassie and I, when she's eating, and that's about it. She sleeps in the other master bedroom. I don't remember the last time..."

"The last time what?" Dana tore the last dinner roll in half.

"You had sex?" Sam asked letting Janet know nothing was off limits tonight.

"No, but that's been a long time too. I was going to say that she touched me, or that we even had a heartfelt conversation." She sighed glad they'd waited until they were almost done eating to have this conversation. "It's like she's slipping away and I'm helpless to do anything about it."

"Well," Dana swallowed a mouthful of bread. "At least you know she isn't cheating on you."

Janet felt a pang of Déjà vu as she remembered Cassie's almost accusing conversation over a bowl of cheerios.

"She's not cheating on you." Sam assured as she watched the sadness deepen in Janet's brown eyes.

"I know." Janet sighed. "But, what if..."

They both waited for her to form the question.

"What if, " She started again, "her personality changed because of the brain surgery? What if I'll never get the Tegan I know back?"

"She's in there." Sam promised.

"No, Janet's right." Dana draped her napkin over her plate. She knew she didn't need to sugar coat anything for Janet. "Personality changes happen all the time with brain surgery."

"Just give her time." Sam repeated.

"Well, if it's sex you want I'm available." Dana's smile was a thin veil.

"Its not about the sex." Janet pushed her plate away.

"It's almost always about the sex." Dana's lips parted as her tongue played over her left incisor before dipping to lick her lower lip as she lightly sucked it in. She was devouring Sam with her eyes.

Janet shook her head, she hadn't seen that side of Dana since residency. She glanced at Sam who remained oblivious to the attention. Janet thought she and Tegan were alike in that way. "I just..."

Sam reached across the table and covered Janet's hand with hers. "She'll come around."

Janet pulled her hand away. The comfort of Sam's touch was more than she could bare as guilt flooded through her. She knew exactly how easy it would be to find repose in the arms of either of her dinner companions.

"I'm sorry." Sam's brow knitted together in confusion, she'd done the same thing countless times in the past without the same effect.

"No." Janet reached for her drink. "Don't be. I'm just out of sorts lately."

"Maybe you two should take a vacation, or something?" Dana suggested.

"You have met Tegan, right?" Janet looked at her as if she'd lost her mind.

"We are all getting to that take your leave or sell it back point." Sam pointed out. "And you've got to be crazy to sell it back."

Janet looked at Sam without changing her expression.